Early wedding present from fiance! SVT-40

[cannonfire]

Here we go...

I'm out with the fiance, looking at wedding bands, and we get talking about the cost of my band. She wants to buy some $1300 meteorite lined band for me. First off, I'm a former marine and LEO, I break/lose things like its my job. I tell her no and to go for the significantly cheaper plain black band. Joking (kinda) I say if she REALLY wants to spend that kind of money, there is a gun store next door and she can buy me a new gun...

Well, sure enough we head down to LGS (not really local to me but still my favorite) and I stop and just stare at the used gun rack. The salesman (a buddy) walks up and goes "yup, its an SVT-40. First one I've ever seen in person. It's on consignment and the guy is selling his collection to buy a new Hellcat".

Now the price was way steeper than I was willing to drop at the time (paying for a wedding and all= responsibilities), but my fiance steps up and says, "well then I'll buy it". She looks at me and mentions something about me working so hard and often and that she knew I wanted it by the way I was looking at it. To be honest, I was too busy playing with the gun to be listening to her, but I got the gist of it.

I walked out of that store with a 1943 SVT-40 with one magazine and some extra goodies (sling, mag pouch, oil can, cleaning kit; normal Russian gear from the time). I am absolutely thrilled with the gift. This is the only SVT-40 I've seen in person and don't know anybody that has owned one (admittingly I don't have many friends.... that are collectors). I checked with Gunbroker to see what they are selling for, and I am pretty happy with what she paid for it, being a couple of hundred dollars less than what I saw them selling for on Gunbroker...

I'll try to post pictures, I still havent figured it out just yet, if someone could send me a PM with instructions.

 

[Mike Irwin]

She's a keeper! (Both your fiancee and your SVT!)

Back in the 1990s the SVTs were coming into the country, and were damned cheap.

And I had been laid off from NRA, was working part time in a gun store, and simply didn't have $450 to buy one.

By the time I got my life squared away and back on track financially (toss a divorce into the mess), the supply had dried up and prices were starting to jump hard.

Still don't have one. Still want one.

 

[44 AMP]

Sorry Mike, had I known, oh well... I sold mine a few months ago, a 1942 with a lovely stock. Got it for $125, so, it was a while back. Put it in a LGS on consignment. Lots of people looked at it, everyone said $1400 was a fair price, no one bought it. Until I dropped the price to $1200.

it sold the next week...


Here's a tip for the new SVT owner, become familiar with the take down of the gun, including the gas system, and how to properly clean it after firing corrosive primed ammo. Its not difficult, but it is something you NEED to know.

Congratulations on both the gun, and the wife to be. sounds like you got a sweet deal on both.

 

[highpower3006]

Very nice present. I wanted one for years, but was unwilling to pay the going rate for them until a coupe of years ago when I decided to bite the bullet and quit dithering around. I wound up having to go to Gunbroker and picked up a very nice one for $1200. Not exactly cheap, but what the heck, at least I finally got to scratch the itch.

Mine is a '41 Tula.